There exists a long-felt need for an improved construction material useful in making and/or forming medical articles or covers for such articles. Specifically, presently known materials are generally not thin enough, strong enough, soft enough or pliable enough to be useful in connection with a wide variety of applications. For example, known tissue replacement devices including porous polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) or natural mammal (e.g. bovine) materials, while soft, often require significant volume, thus causing more pressure on the damaged tissue than is necessary. Moreover, currently available materials useful in constructing bandages, covers, tissue replacement devices, etc. suffer from a variety of other drawbacks.
In addition, many currently known medical articles could be improved with enhanced performance characteristics through coating of the devices and/or articles with a medically-acceptable membrane material. In accordance with the present invention, the term "coating" refers to materials which are applied to the article by application, dipping or other methodologies.
In addition, devices formed from materials which exhibit sufficient pliability, strength and minimal thickness and dimensions, such as, tubing for or medical or other use, would be desirable.
In general, there exists a long-felt and unresolved need for a thinner, softer, more slippery, non-porous material for medical and other applications.